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Firehouse BBQ at Six Flags Over Georgia Up for USA Today 10BEST Award with More New Food Options Coming in 2026

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The Firehouse BBQ at Six Flags Over Georgia (SFOG) has been nominated for “Best Theme Park Restaurant” in USA Today’s 2026 10BEST. Firehouse BBQ was a new dining option for 2025 at SFOG and it’s great to see it already getting such great recognition. We had a chance to review Firehouse BBQ last year and it’s easily the best dining experience in the park and part of a broader initiative to improve dining options across the chain. This has included multiple Six Flags parks hiring their first-ever executive chefs including Jeremy Hacker at Six Flags Great Adventure, Josh Streeter at Six Flags New England and Priscilla Nicole at Six Flags Over Georgia. I’ve personally met Pricilla, she is simply wonderful and has been doing great work for the park.

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Downtown Atlanta Amusement Park History: From the Site of Ponce de Leon Amusement Company 100 Years Ago “Springs” Skyline Park Today

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Ponce de Leon Amusement Company
Skyline Park
Skyline Park (Courtesy of Slater Hospitality)

Back in the mid 1800’s and early 1900’s there was a popular tourist destination called Ponce de Leon Springs near downtown Atlanta. It was seen more like a local spa with the mineral content of the water thought to provide health benefits. In January 1903, 47 acres of the land surrounding the spring was purchased by the future Ponce de Leon Amusement Company. Construction quickly started on a theater, a carousel and a casino. The owners tried to mimic Coney Island by building a ping pong parlor, a gravity railroad (precursor to our modern roller coasters), a Ferris wheel and a penny arcade and the park soon became known as “the Coney Island of Atlanta”. It only lasted to the 1920’s, but fast forward 100 years and remarkably on the same site today you’ll find Skyline Park, a modern carnival-style rooftop amusement park!

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New Lookout Safari Roller Coaster Coming to Lake Winnie in 2026!

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In a somewhat surprising development, Lake Winnie has announced it is getting a new roller coaster in 2026! The roller coaster will be called Lookout Safari and is actually the coaster formerly known as Kombo that was removed from the Indianapolis Zoo. Lookout Safari gets its name from the unique train cars that look like safari “jeep’ vehicles complete with seat backs that look like gas cans. This is a great family coaster that should fit in perfectly at Lake Winnie and will look great along the water across from Cannonball.

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Does Splash Island at Wild Adventures Have the Best Lazy River in America?

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The Paradise River at Splash Island Water Park (part of Wild Adventures Theme Park) has been nominated for “Best Lazy River” in USA Today’s 10BEST. Paradise River is in a beautiful setting with palms trees and foliage all around as you pass under several bridges around the course. There are some fun water features to interact with, but nothing too much that takes the “lazy” out of lazy river. Paradise River has been nominated along with 19 other lazy rivers and includes prestigious company such as Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach along with its sister property, Dollywood Splash Country. If you love Wild Adventures and Splash Island be sure to VOTE NOW!

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The Lumber for Your Favorite Wooden Roller Coaster May Have Come From S.I. Storey in Armuchee, Georgia

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Wooden Roller coasters primarily use a very specific type of wood called Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) for their structure and track. Southern Yellow Pine has become the industry-standard wood used worldwide for most modern wooden roller coasters due to its density, strength, and pressure-treatment capabilities. For more than two decades, S.I. Storey Lumber Company in Armuchee, GA has specialized in high quality treated Southern Yellow Pine that has been used in roller coasters around the world. S.I Storey lumber is in use at many Six Flags parks, smaller local parks across the United States and even international parks like Walibi Belgium. Please note that of the coasters pictured in this article only Viper and Weerwolf are known for certain to have S.I. Storey lumber.

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Is Holiday in the Park Returning to Six Flags Over Georgia in 2026?

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Front entrance at Six Flags Over Georgia Holiday in the Park

Six Flags Over Georgia announced last summer that its Holiday in the Park event was cancelled for 2025 as the were focusing resources “during the time when the majority of our guests visit the Six Flags Over Georgia” and “weather conditions can more consistently support our goal”. This closed the park about a month earlier than usual and was met with a lot of disappointment from the season pass base who only got a “free bring a friend” as compensation. However, during the company’s quarterly earnings call on Feb. 19, 2026 there was a glimmer of hope that this event might return in 2026 as the new management reflected that the decision last year may have been a mistake.

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Wild Adventures Upgrading 3 Rides for 2026 Season

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In a recent press release it was announced that Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia would be making upgrades to 3 guest favorite attractions. This off-season, the maintenance team at Wild Adventures was hard at work improving the ride experience on Island Falls, the Safari Train, and Boomerang. Island Falls has 2 new boats, delivering shorter wait times and more splash-filled fun. The Safari Train has a second locomotive joining the track, meaning less time spent waiting in line to hop on board. The beloved Boomerang roller coaster features an all-new control system and new magnetic brakes from Vekoma, designed for smooth stops and reduced unexpected closures throughout the season.

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Atlanta’s American Adventures: The Now Largely Vacant Building Next to White Water Once Was a Herschend Park

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If you visit Six Flags White Water you’ll notice a large building sharing the parking lot that appears largely vacant. This building was actually part of American Adventures, something akin to a large family entertainment center or small amusement park that operated until 2010. This park has a really interesting history, having been owned by more than one theme park brand. The property is now used for training, HR, storage and the employee cafeteria, but at one time there were numerous rides here and even a small roller coaster. White Water is very much a “water park in the woods” and American Adventure was similar as in the forest between that building and the water park once sat a pretty amazing little amusement park called American Adventures.

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The Closure of Mountasia Family Fun Center and the Collateral Damage of a Theme Park Sale

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Mountasia Family Fun Center Sign
Mountasia Family Fun Center Sign (from X.com @mountasia037)

Earlier in 2025 it was announced that Herschend was aquiring the US based assets of Palace Entertainment. This acquisition included famous properties such as Pittsburgh’s Kennywood, Iowa’s Adventureland, Noah’s Ark water park in Wisconsin Dells and Lake Compounce, the oldest continuously-operating amusement park in North America. It also included some smaller family entertainment centers including Malibu Norcross in Norcross, GA and Mountasia in Marietta, GA that we subsequently closed on September 28, 2025. Mountasia was specifically known for three mini golf courses, bumper boats and go-karts. I had a chance to drive by the now shuttered Mountasia and got some current pictures.

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The World of Sid and Marty Krofft: Atlanta’s Former Indoor Theme Park in the Old CNN Center

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The World of Sid and Marty Krofft

If you visited Atlanta over the last couple of decades that trip may have included a stop at the former CNN Center integrated into the Omni Hotel. This is especially true if you were visiting the neighboring Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Dome, Mercedes Benz Stadium Philips Arena (now State Farm) or Centennial Olympic Park. The food court at the base of the atrium was massive with tons of choices for those looking for a quick meal, but there was also a CNN Tour. However, this space 50 years ago in 1976 housed an indoor amusement park called The World of Sid and Marty Krofft.

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